Volume 4 • ISSUE 3

july - september 2015

Editor’s note: The following op-ed waswritten by AFL-CIO President RichardTrumka. The SIU is an AFL-CIO affiliate;SIU President Michael Sacco is the lon-gest-serving member on the federation’sexecutive council.

Every Labor Day there’s a quick nodto past labor victories, and then a knee-jerk assertion that “organized labor is indecline.” It’s time to retire that tired line.It’s simply not true. In 2015 there’s an un-told story about the rising tide of workingpeople finding new and innovative ways tocreate a better life.

All of this in the face of corporate op-position, archaic labor laws and gridlockin Washington. This is a story that’s takingplace in cities and towns around the coun-try — in offices, factories and among ordi-nary people who have decided that theycan stand together to make a difference.

This momentum hasn’t gone completelyunnoticed. A recent Gallup poll shows thatsupport for unions is at its highest since2008, with 58 percent of people expressingapproval, and the Obama Administration ispreparing to host a White House summiton Worker Voice in the fall. From MainStreet to the White House, our country istaking notice of the different ways workingpeople are on the rise. Here is a snapshot:

Working people are raising wages– 2015 stands to be the biggest year forcollective bargaining in generations. Ap-proximately 5 million workers will bar-gain for new contracts this year, witheverything, including raising wages tobettering working conditions, at stake.From airport janitors in Phoenix to mu-

sicians in New York City, workers havewon good contracts and will continue tofight to raise wages through collectivebargaining.

Being in a union is cool again  –  Fromtraditional occupations to the “new econ-omy,” workers are surging to join unionsand they are doing it on their own terms.Less than a year ago 9,000 American Air-lines agents joined the CommunicationsWorkers of America. The American Fed-eration of State, County and MunicipalEmployees grew by an astounding 135,000new members from last year through thisMarch. And workers at digital outlets in-cluding, Gawker, Vice, The Guardian, andSalon all joined a union despite the diffi-culties involved in organizing in the digitaleconomy.

Common-sense rules are leveling theplaying field  – Working people have hadthe deck stacked against them for far toolong, but their voices are starting to turnthe tide. Rulings of the National Labor Re-lations Board have restored common senseto the union election process, and made itharder for companies to hide behind con-tractors in order to abuse working people.

Making workplaces safer  – Today,too many people put their healthand safety on the line to put food onthe table. That’s why workers havefought hard to make workplaces safer.Whether it is the United Steelworkersand the Building Trades working to-gether to improve worker safety at oilrefineries or mine workers ensuringhigh standards, a union workplace is asafe workplace.

Corporations respond to workerpressure  – Working people are standingup and speaking out for a robust raisingwages agenda, and some of America’sbiggest corporations are listening. Underpressure from workers, corporations suchas Walmart, Target, and McDonald’s haveall raised their minimum wage over the lastyear.

Workers are winning at the ballotbox  – Last November, five states and twocities voted to raise their minimum wage.Working people in major cities such asSeattle and Los Angeles now have moremoney in their pockets, with many citiesfrom Huntsville to St. Louis debating rais-ing the minimum wage.

We’re winning in the South – Over thelast year, workers have made great gainsin the South. From peanut shellers in Ala-bama to steelworkers in southern Virginia,workers are beating back the efforts of bigcorporations to keep wages low and condi-tions poor.

We’re winning fair scheduling –  Cor-porations increasingly create unfair andunsustainable work schedules for workingfamilies, but we are fighting back. Overthe last year, working people from acrossthe country have spoken out for schedul-ing reform, earning big wins in Californiaand at one of the world’s biggest telecomcorporations.

Sick leave is the new norm  –  A decadeago, paid sick leave was a dream. Nowit’s a central part of the economic debate.Whether it’s at the ballot box, throughlocal legislation, or through collective bar-gaining, working people are demanding

the right to be healthier and happier in theworkplace.

Working people haven’t just won bigin the last year; we’ve created momentum.From major organizing wins to issues likepaid sick leave and scheduling reform toensuring pro-working family candidates aresupported at the ballot box, there is an unde-niable movement underway. The “labor indecline” storyline is yesterday’s news.

Working People Bring a Wave of Change on Labor Day

Richard TrumkaPresident, AFL-CIO

This open season, federal mariners willhave the opportunity to select a new healthcare insurance benefit called Self Plus One.This new program, which is part of theoverall Federal Employees Health Benefits(FEHB) insurance program, allows indi-viduals to cover themselves and one othereligible family member. This type of enroll-ment will be added to current programs SelfOnly and Self and Family.

Eligible family members must meet thecurrent definition of a family member – aspouse or a child up to age 26. A child maybe covered past 26 years of age if the childwas incapable of self-support because of aphysical or mental disability which existedbefore age 26. Married same-sex couplesare eligible for the benefit. Domestic part-ners or non-married partners are not eli-gible for coverage.

Self Plus One may be elected duringthis year’s open season. After open seasonends, if you have a qualifying life event,you may also have an opportunity to selectSelf Plus One coverage. Qualifying LifeEvents are marriage, divorce, the birth oradoption of a child or a family member’sloss of coverage under another health in-surance program.

The Office of Personnel Management in-tends to publish the rates for this program inearly October. To better understand if thisnew benefit is right for you, be sure to studythe rates and coverage for both the plan youare enrolled in currently and the Self PlusOne option. (See the Open Season articleon this page for more information.) Shouldyou select this option during Open Season,your coverage will begin in January 2016.

Know Your Benefits and How to Secure ThemNew Benefit Introduced for Federal Employees: Self Plus One

Federal mariners work hard and haveaccess to excellent insurance through theFederal Employee Health Benefits Program(FEHB), but not everyone is in the same boat.

In September, the New York Timesreported that 33 million people or 14 percentof the population did not have access tohealth insurance – a vitally important benefit.

A very important event – the FEHB OpenSeason – begins this November 9 and runsthrough December 14, 2015. Premium rateswill increase by an average of 7.4 percent.

The SIU urges every Federal Mariner toprepare for your open season to ensure the

selection of the best health care coverage,vision and dental benefits. Now is alsotime to review whether it makes sense toparticipate in the Federal Flexible SpendingAccount Program (FSAFEDS).

Additionally this open season theFEHB introduces the Self Plus One healthcare benefit (see related article on thispage).

There are dozens of plans availablefor review as you prepare for this year’sopen season and research is critical. Forthose federal mariners whose assignmentstake them to international locations, the

SIU encourages you to consider healthplan coverage that includes treatment ininternational medical facilities.

With all the choices, how should youevaluate your health benefit plan options?There are resources to help you learn aboutthe plans, coverage and rates.

Selection factors to consider include:1. Coverage benefits.2. Premiums.3. Access to doctors, hospitals, and other

providers.4. Access to after-hours and emergency

care.

5. Out-of-pocket costs (coinsurance,copayments, and deductibles).

6. Exclusions and limitations.You can check the OPM website and

click on the Insurance tab to review the freeinformation on that site:

https:/ /www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/guides/

You can also review Washington’sCheckbook Guide to Health Plans forFederal Employees, which is widelyconsidered one of the most comprehensiveguides available.

2015 Open Season Dates: November 9 through December 14

2 Federal Mariner July - september 2015

President’s Column

Michael Sacco, PresidentAugustin Tellez, Executive Vice President

David Heindel, Secretary-TreasurerGeorge Tricker, Vice President Contracts

Kermett Mangram,Vice President Government Services

Chester Wheeler,Asst. Vice President Government Services

Seafarers InternationalUnion Directory

New shipbuilding programs in both the public and privatesector mean continued job security for SIU members, whether yousail in our Government Services Division or on the commercialside. The ongoing progress with construction of JHSVs, plusLNG-powered containerships and tankers on both coastsreinforces my belief in a bright future not only for our union butalso for America’s shipbuilding industry.

Those programs reflect the fact that there is plenty of work outthere for the U.S. Merchant Marine, and they also demonstrate theoutstanding capabilities of our nation’s shipyard workers. As a

lifelong union man, it’s a point of pridefor me to note that two of our country’sbusiest yards – Aker Philadelphia and,on the West Coast, General DynamicsNASSCO – employ union workers.Put another way, union members atthose facilities (and elsewhere) areconstructing state-of-the-art tankers,containerships and RO/ROs that stackup against any others around the world.

On that note, you may have read orheard about a new Gallup poll that found

six in 10 Americans say they approve of labor unions. That’s thehighest approval rate since 2008, according to news reports.

I didn’t realize it until reading an article in late summer, butGallup has been surveying American views about organized laborsince 1936 (two years before the SIU was chartered). That samearticle said approval of unions has grown by five percentagepoints in the last year alone, and by 10 percentage points since2008 (the start of the recession).

You may know that I’m usually at least initially a little leeryof studies and statistics, but once I’ve had time to digest thefacts, it’s not hard to separate hot air from reality. The Galluppoll shows that union workers are getting the job done, or peoplewouldn’t believe in us. It also shows we’re doing a better job ofexplaining to the general public why unions absolutely, positivelystill matter. That’s what AFL-CIO President Trumka did ina Labor Day message (see page 1). In that spirit, educatingyourselves, your shipmates, your friends and families are criticalsteps in helping people understand how unions offer opportunitiesand protections in the workplace.

In the labor movement we believe access to health care andleave of all types is a fundamental right. This issue of the FederalMariner has important information about another opportunity foryou and your families. All federal mariners should be aware thatOpen Season, the time when you can select health care coveragefor yourself and your family will start this November 9 and lastthrough December 14. I encourage each of you to review yourhealth care benefits and make the necessary elections that willprotect you if you become ill or injured in the U.S. or abroad.

For those of you at sea for the past several months, you may beunaware that another strong advocate for working people visitedthe U.S. during the week of September 23. Pope Francis startedhis U.S. visit by landing at Joint Base Andrews – the home of AirForce 1 – located about a mile from SIU Headquarters in CampSprings, Maryland. While in the U.S. the Pope spoke at manygatherings, including the United Nations and a joint session ofCongress.

Millions of people of all faiths listened to the Pope’s thoughtsabout a variety of issues. While speaking during a visit withPresident Obama the Pope said that “humanity has the abilityto work together in building our common home.” In previousinterviews, Pope Francis has spoken about the importance ofthe dignity of work and his support of efforts to ensure thatpeople are paid fair wages, that workers perform their jobs insafe workplaces and, most importantly, through work peopleparticipate in society and have an active voice. One of Pope’sFrancis’ main messages was that the “common good” wasparamount over corporate profits and individual greed andconsumption.

Many federal mariners work and live on the deck plates ofships for a good part of each year. For these mariners the vessel isa “common home.” I want you to know that the SIU understandsthis unique work environment and uses every opportunity toensure that mariners are treated with dignity and respect.

Michael Sacco

Maritime Labor – Progress and Opportunities

The USNS Rappahannock is pictured earlier this year in the East China Sea. (U.S. Navy photo)

Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt render honors to CIVMARS sailing aboardthe Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Arctic following a mid-September replen-ishment at sea in the Arabian Gulf. Members of the SIU Government Services Division sail aboard theArctic. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joseph Yu)

Navy Sailors Salute CIVMARS

Members of the SIU Government Services Divi-sion recently assisted eight people aboard a distressedsailboat during a routine mission in the western Pa-cific Ocean.

The Seafarers-crewed USNS Rappahannock, afleet replenishment oiler, rendered assistance to a38-foot craft named The Remedy, which is regis-tered in the Federated States of Micronesia, Stateof Yap, the U.S. Navy reported. The sailboat washeaded to Guam but only had gotten roughly half-way through the 1,000-mile voyage when it ran outof fuel.

“After receiving the distress call on radio, the[Rappahannock] immediately maneuvered its way

to the sailboat,” said Dean Bradford, the Rappahan-nock’s master. “Once on scene, the ship deployed its[rigid-hulled inflatable boat] to evaluate the situationand render assistance.”

The response took about an hour, and the Rap-pahannock provided fuel to the vessel and potablewater to its crew.

“The crew of Remedy expressed their gratitudeand indicated that they do not need further assis-tance,” said Bradford.

He added, “Boats and ships are spread all over,but I can imagine they were happy to see us. It’s a bigworld out there and a big ocean, and some are just notfully prepared or equipped to sail out.”

SIU Members Help Stranded Boaters

july - september 2015 Federal Mariner 3

It is now the two-year mark since the completion of nego-tiations for CMPI 610, the Instruction which sets out the hoursCIVMARS will work and the policy language which covershow CIVMARS sailing aboard MSC vessels will earn over-time, premium and penalty pay.

The entire effort to negotiate this Instruction took about 10years. CMPI 610 was a 25-year-old Instruction which had notbeen fully revised during that entire 25-year period. The startof the negotiations involved major disputes and litigation asthe SIU, on behalf of unlicensed CIVMARS, fought off everyMSC effort to reduce the amount of overtime, premium andpenalty pay amount it originally proposed.

For CIVMARS working with MSC in 2009, before thestart of the CMPI 610 negotiations, you may remember theSIU requested a different type of negotiation called interest-based bargaining negotiations to ensure the negotiations wouldbe fair and effective. Unlike in traditional negotiations, whichoften end in disagreement, interest-based bargaining nego-tiations allow parties to use problem-solving techniques toachieve identified goals. Using this method the SIU represen-tatives were able to ensure that CIVMARS did not experienceany significant loss to their overtime, penalty and premium paywhen the negotiations were completed.

Another significant success was a change to the organiza-tion of the Instruction. The original document language wasrepetitive, unclear and confusing. The Instruction was stream-lined and clarified to ensure a consistent application of thepayment rules. Prior to the 2013 negotiations each ship ap-plied these work rules differently and many CIVMARS wereunfairly denied pay because the rules were confusing. Lastly, acomprehensive Index was developed so CIVMARS could findtheir applicable work rules easily.

How can you protect your overtime, premium and penaltypayments? First, make sure you are very familiar with all theprovisions of CMPI 610. If you aren’t aware of when you areeligible for overtime, premium and penalty pay you may not

receive pay for the different types of work you perform. CMPI610 should be on the vessels’ computer library and at the purs-er’s office for your review.

Second, make sure you carefully check your time and atten-dance sheet. Do the codes on this sheet match the work you weredoing? If you worked through all or part of your meal period,did you receive your penalty meal hour pay? Make sure you areaware if your supervisor redlined (took away) your overtime,premium or penalty pay and find out why this was done.

Third, keep track of your overtime, penalty pay and pre-mium pay on a separate sheet or in a book with the correct paycodes and the hours that you worked. The pay code shows therate of pay for each type of work.

Once you receive your leave and earning statement makesure you review it carefully. Make sure the hours noted on

your leave and earning statement match up with the hours in-cluded on the time and attendance sheet, and your personalrecord to make sure that you have received all the money youhave earned. You have the biggest stake in making sure youget all the money you deserve for the hard work that you do.

If there is a discrepancy, address the issue as soon as youdiscover it. Speak with your supervisor and ask him or her toreview the problem and see if a resolution may be reached. Ifyou do not receive an adequate explanation or if a resolutioncannot be reached, file a premium pay dispute/grievance form(found at the back of CMPI 610 – see image on this page) tostart the process of disputing the denial of your pay. If you haveany questions you can always contact your union representa-tive or send a message to siufedmariner@seafarers.org if youhave internet access on your vessel.

Submissions WantedAttention all ACOE, NOAA, SBRF-MARAD and MSC federal mariners: Your

work on behalf of our government is vital. Your union appreciates all you do inyour workplace and on behalf of our nation.

We want your voices to be heard! We want to make sure we are writing aboutissues and topics that are of importance to all our Government Services units.Please send your comments, pictures and requests for coverage to siufedmariner@seafarers.org

We will do our best to print your photos and publish articles based on yourrequests.

Be active. Stay involved. Support the Federal Mariner and your union!For contact with SIU: siufedmariner@seafarers.orgFind us on Facebook:Click on icon at www.seafarers.orgFind us on Twitter:www.twitter.com/seafarersunion

Joining the SIU is easy. The union’s website – www.seafarers.org – in-cludes printable PDF versions of forms that mariners may use to request andauthorize payroll deductions for labor organization dues. The forms are postedat:

www.seafarers.org/memberbenefits/civmar.aspForms are also available under “union forms” in the SIU membership tab.

Contact InformationAsst. Vice President GovernmentServices Chet Wheeler:Phone: (510) 444-2360, ext. 17Email: cwheeler@seafarers.orgGovernment Services Fleet RepresentativeKate Hunt:Phone: (201) 434-6000, ext. 223Email: khunt@seafarers.orgGovernment Services Fleet RepresentativeSam Spain:Phone: (757) 622-1892Email: sspain@seafarers.org

How to Become an SIU Member

SIU Assistant VP Chet Wheeler (left in photo at left, center in photo at right) met with SIU members in San Diego in early September. Also shown inphoto at left are Mike Novak, Bob Doebele, Rocky Talisayan, Ireneo Gentalian and Raul Jao. In the other photo: Dan Davidsen, Kurtis Boyd, RobertRatcliffe, David Jackson, Ron Larry and Evans Merrill.

With Seafarers on the West Coast

CIVMAR NOTEHours of Work and Premium Pay: Why You Get It and How to Protect and Preserve Your Overtime, Premium and Penalty Pay

Editor’s note: This list was provided by Union Plus, anon-profit organization founded by the American Federa-tion of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. Whilemariners may chuckle at some of the items related to hoursand days of work (it was written with shore-side workers inmind), the overall picture points out many significant, hard-earned benefits enjoyed by Americans because of unions.

1. Weekends without work2. All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks3. Paid vacation4. Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)5. Sick leave6. Social Security7. Minimum wage8. Civil Rights Act/Title VII - prohibits employer dis-

crimination

9. Eight-hour work day10. Overtime pay11. Child labor laws12. Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)13. 40-hour work week14. Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)15. Unemployment insurance16. Pensions17. Workplace safety standards and regulations18. Employer health care insurance19. Collective bargaining rights for employees20. Wrongful termination laws21. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 196722. Whistleblower protection laws23. Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) -

prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on anemployee

24. Veteran’s Employment and Training Services(VETS)

25. Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e.raises)

26. Sexual harassment laws27. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)28. Holiday pay29. Employer dental, life, and vision insurance30. Privacy rights31. Pregnancy and parental leave32. Military leave33. The right to strike34. Public education for children35. Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 - requires employ-

ers pay men and women equally for the same amount ofwork

36. Laws ending sweatshops in the United States

4 Federal Mariner July - September 2015

Save at UnionPlus.org/ATT

Save with AT&T Wireless and Union Plus. Just because you’reunion, you can save 15% on select wireless service from AT&T, the onlynational wireless provider that’s union—like you.You can save whetheryou’re already an AT&T customer, or switching to all-union AT&T. Plus, ifyou use a Union Plus Credit Card on qualifying purchases, you’re eligiblefor up to $250 in rebates. For union members, this is an easy call.

Here’s one more thingUnion families can share.

All program plans for new and existing customers may require a new two-year contract. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts. Qualifying monthly data plan required.

36 Reasons Why You Should Thank a Union

Inquiring MarinerThis quarter’s question was answered by SIU Govern-ment Services Division members at the Military SealiftCommand Customer Service Unit in mid-SeptemberQuestion: What do you like best about going to sea?

Stacy WhiteCook/Baker

I really like seeingdifferent parts of theworld. MSC offers lots ofexciting travel and it’s agood job.

Casberk BrownEngine Utility

It’s a great job and Ilove to travel and see allthe history and cultures ofdifferent places.

Paul FergelAssistant Cook

I love to travel. I loveto cook. This job is perfectfor me!

Jackie EvansChief Electrician

I’ve been in the unionfor 35 years. This is notjust a job, it’s an adven-ture.

Hassan RashadWiper

I make good moneyand I get to travel. Ilike the people and theshipboard environment.

Bruce CharitySteward Utility

I worked in a shipyardfor a long time and thoughtit would be exciting anddifferent to actually workon the ships.